PhRMA Statement on Human Brain Mapping Initiative

PhRMA February 19, 2012

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 18, 2013) – Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Senior Vice President Matthew Bennett issued the following statement today regarding a new initiative by the Administration that could help further medical research for neurological diseases:

“Collaboration among partners in the entire medical innovation ecosystem is critical to help advance scientific understanding of some of the most complex diseases facing patients. Federal research institutions, academia, biopharmaceutical companies and patient communities all play an important role in furthering research, particularly in the neurological field.

“In order to conquer devastating and costly conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, we must foster this scientific ecosystem and work to overcome these challenges by putting the pieces of the research puzzle together.

“Importantly, a recent PhRMA report highlighted the fact that biopharmaceutical companies are currently researching and developing more than 5,000 medicines, including more than 600 medicines for neurological diseases. The report also found that 84 percent of neurological medicines in the pipeline are potential first-in-class treatments that can help patients with serious unmet medical needs.

“The biopharmaceutical industry is eager and proud to be part of the solution to help meet some of the greatest health care challenges before us today and tomorrow. Public policies at all levels of government have a tremendous impact on how successful all of us are in reaching new medical innovation milestones. For this reason, a consistent public policy framework is needed to provide an environment that is conducive to advance biopharmaceutical research and discovery.

“We look forward to hearing more details about this initiative in the weeks and months ahead.”

About PhRMA

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading innovative biopharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to discovering and developing medicines that enable patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Since 2000, PhRMA member companies have invested over $500 billion in the search for new treatments and cures, including an estimated $49.5 billion in 2011 alone. http://www.phrma.org/